Probing the coupling of a dipole-bound electron with a molecular core

• Published in: Chemical science (Cambridge) Vol. 10; no. 5; pp. 1386 - 1391
• Main Authors: Czekner, Joseph, Cheung, Ling Fung, Kocheril, G Stephen, Wang, Lai-Sheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Royal Society of Chemistry 07.02.2019
• Subjects: Coupling (molecular); Dipole moments; Electron spin; Electrons; INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; Photodetachment; Photoelectrons; Spectroscopy; Spectrum analysis; Spin-orbit interactions
• ISSN: 2041-6520; 2041-6539
• DOI: 10.1039/c8sc04771e

A dipolar molecule can weakly bind an electron in a diffuse orbital. However, the spin-orbit coupling between this weakly bound electron and the electrons in the molecular core is not known. Here we probe this coupling using the linear C P anion with the Σ ground state, which possesses dipole-bound excited states because neutral C P ( Π) has a sufficiently large dipole moment. Photodetachment spectroscopy and resonant photoelectron spectroscopy are used to probe the nature of the dipole-bound states. Two dipole-bound excited states are observed with a binding energy of 37 cm , corresponding to the two spin-orbit states of neutral C P ( Π and Π ). The current study demonstrates that the weakly bound electron in the dipole-bound excited states of C P is not spin-coupled to the electrons in the C P core and can be considered as a quasi-free electron.